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Home , Brendan Boyle, Brian Schatz, Catherine Cortez Masto, Chris Van Hollen, French Hill (politician), Gregory Meeks

Congressional Advocacy and Key Housing Committees

By Elayne Weiss, Senior Policy Analyst, • The House of Representatives Committee on National Low Income Housing Coalition Ways and Means. obbying Congress is a direct way to advocate • The Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, for the issues and programs that are and Urban Affairs. important to you. Members of Congress are • The Senate Committee on Appropriations. Laccountable to constituents of a certain region • The Senate Committee on Finance. and any individual or organization should be able to connect with their senators and representatives See below for details on these key committees through a fairly simple process. As a constituent, as of February 1, 2019. For all committees, you have the right to lobby the members who members are listed in order of seniority. Those represent you; as a housing advocate, you should who sit on key housing subcommittees are exercise this right. marked with an asterisk (*).

CONTACT YOUR MEMBER OF HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONGRESS COMMITTEE ON FINANCIAL To find out the contact information for your SERVICES Member of Congress, visit NLIHC’s congressional See http://financialservices.house.gov. directory at http://capwiz.com/nlihc/dbq/officials, The House Committee on Financial Services or call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at 202-224- oversees all components of the nation’s housing 3121. and financial services sectors, including banking, insurance, real estate, public and MEETING WITH YOUR MEMBER OF assisted housing, and securities. The committee CONGRESS reviews laws and programs relating to HUD, Scheduling a meeting, crafting your agenda, the Federal Reserve Bank, the Federal Deposit developing the appropriate materials to take Insurance Corporation, government sponsored with you, determining your “ask” or “asks” ahead enterprises including Fannie Mae and Freddie of time, making sure your meeting does not veer Mac, and international development and finance away from the subject at hand, and following up agencies such as the World Bank and the afterward, are all crucial elements to holding International Monetary Fund. effective meetings with Members of Congress. The Committee also ensures the enforcement of For more tips on how to lobby effectively, refer to housing and consumer protection laws such the the lobbying section of this chapter. “U.S. Housing Act”, the “Truth in Lending Act”, the “Housing and Community Development Act”, KEY CONGRESSIONAL the “Fair Credit Reporting Act”, the “Real Estate COMMITTEES Settlement Procedures Act”, the “Community The following are key housing authorizing and Reinvestment Act”, and financial privacy laws. appropriating committees in Congress: The Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance • The House of Representatives Committee on oversees HUD and the Government National Financial Services. Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mac). The Subcommittee also handles matters related • The House of Representatives Committee on to housing affordability, rural housing, and Appropriations. government sponsored insurance programs

2–20 2019 ADVOCATES’ GUIDE such as the Federal Housing Administration • (HI) (FHA) and the National Flood Insurance • (NC) Program, and community development, including Empowerment Zones. • (PA)

Majority Members (Democrats) • Jesús “Chuy” García (IL) • (CA), Chair • (TX) • Carolyn B. Maloney* (NY) • (MN) • Nydia M. Velázquez* (NY) Minority Members (Republicans) • * (CA) • Patrick McHenry (NC), Ranking • (NY) • Peter T. King (NY) • Wm. Lacy Clay* (MO), • Frank D. Lucas (OK) Housing and Insurance Subcommittee Chair • (FL) • David Scott (GA) • * (MO) • * (TX) • * (MI) • * (MO) • Sean P. Duffy* (WI), • (CO) Housing and Insurance Subcommittee Ranking • Jim A. Himes (CT) • Steve Stivers (OH) • (IL) • (MO) • * (OH) • Andy Barr (KY) • Denny Heck* (WA) • Scott Tipton* (CO) • * (CA) • Roger Williams (TX) • (NJ) • (AR) • Vicente Gonzalez* (TX) • (MN) • * (FL) • Lee M. Zeldin* (NY) • (GU) • (GA) • * (MI) • Alexander X. Mooney (WV) • (CA) • (OH) • * (IA) • (NC) • (IL) • * (TN) • (MA) • (IN) • Ben McAdams (UT) • Anthony Gonzalez* (OH) • Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY) • John Rose* (TN) • (VA) • * (WI) • Stephen F. Lynch (MA) • * (TX) • Riggleman (VA) * Those who sit on key housing subcommittees are marked with an asterisk.

NATIONAL LOW INCOME HOUSING COALITION 2–21 • (FL) HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS • (IL) See http://appropriations.house.gov • * (NJ) The House Committee on Appropriations • * (MI) is responsible for determining the amount • * (CA) of funding made available to all authorized programs each year. • (FL) The Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, • (AZ) and Urban Development and Related Agencies • (HI) (THUD) determines the amount of government revenues dedicated to HUD, among other agencies. Minority Members (Republicans) • (TX), Majority Members (Democrats) Ranking Member • (NY), Chair • Harold Rogers (KY) • (OH) • (AL) • Peter Visclosky (IN) • Michael Simpson (ID) • José Serrano (NY) • John Carter (TX) • Rosa DeLauro (CT) • (CA) • David Price* (NC), • (OK) Transportation-HUD Subcommittee Chair • Mario Diaz-Balart* (FL), • Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA) Transportation-HUD Subcommittee Ranking • (GA) Member • (CA) • Tom Graves (GA) • Betty McCollum (MN) • * (AR) • Tim Ryan (OH) • (NE) • C. Ruppersberger (MD) • Charles Fleischmann (TN) • Debbie Wasserman Shultz (FL) • Jamie Herrera Beutler (WA) • (TX) • (OH) • (ME) • (MD) • Mike Quigley* (IL) • Martha Roby (AL) • (WA) • (NV) • (PA) • Chris Stewart (UT) • (NY) • Stephen Palazzo (MS) • (WI) • (WA) • * (MA) • (MI) • * (CA) • John Rutherford* (FL) • William Hurd* (TX) * Those who sit on key housing subcommittees are marked with an asterisk

2–22 2019 ADVOCATES’ GUIDE • (CA) HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND • (FL) MEANS • Adrian Smith (NE) See http://waysandmeans.house.gov • (TX) The Committee on Ways and Means is the • (NY) chief tax writing committee in the House of Representatives. • Mike Kelly (PA) • George Holding (NC) Majority Members (Democrats) • (MA) • (MO) • John Lewis (GA) • (SC) • (TX) • (AZ) • Mike Thompson (CA) • (IN) • John Larson (CT) • Darin LaHood (IL) • (OR) • (OH) • (WI) SENATE COMMITTEE ON • (NJ) BANKING, HOUSING, AND URBAN • Danny Davis (IL) AFFAIRS See http://banking.senate.gov/public • Linda Sanchez (CA) The Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and • (NY) Urban Affairs oversees legislation, petitions, and • (AL) other matters relating to financial institutions, • Suzan DelBene (WA) economic policy, housing, transportation, urban development, international trade and finance, • (CA) and securities and investments. • (WI) The Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, • (MI) and Community Development oversees urban mass transit systems and general urban affairs • (PA) and development issues, and is the primary • (VA) oversight committee for HUD. The subcommittee • Dwight Evans (PA) oversees HUD community development programs, the FHA, the Rural Housing Service, • (IL) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and all issues • Tom Suozzi (NY) related to public and private housing, senior housing, nursing home construction, and • (CA) indigenous housing issues. • (FL) Majority Members (Republicans) • (CA) • Michael Crapo (ID), Chair • (NV) • * (AL) Minority Members (Republicans) • (TX) * Those who sit on key housing subcommittees are marked with an asterisk.

NATIONAL LOW INCOME HOUSING COALITION 2–23 • Patrick Toomey (PA) Majority Members (Republicans) • (SC) • Richard Shelby* (AL), Chair • (NE) • Mitch McConnell (KY) • * (AR) • * (TN) • * (SD) • * (ME), Subcommittee Chair • David Perdue (GA), Subcommittee Chair • (AK) • * (NC) • * (SC) • John Kennedy (LA) • * (MO) • Martha McSally* (AZ) • (KS) • Jerry Moran* (KS) • * (ND) • * (ND) • * (AR) Minority Members (Democrats) • * (WV) • (OH), Ranking Member • John Kennedy (LA) • Jack Reed* (RI) • Cindy Hyde-Smith (MS) • Robert Menendez* (NJ), • * (MT) Subcommittee Ranking Member • (FL) • (MT) • (OK) • Mark R. Warner (VA) Minority Members (Democrats) • * (MA) • (VT), Ranking Member • (HI) • * (WA) • (MD) • * (CA) • * (NV) • Richard Durbin* (IL) • * (AL) • Jack Reed* (RI), • * (MN) Subcommittee Ranking Member • Krysten Sinema (AZ) • Jon Tester (MT) SENATE COMMITTEE ON • Tom Udall (NM) APPROPRIATIONS • (NH) See http://appropriations.senate.gov • (OR) The Senate Committee on Appropriations • * (DE) is responsible for determining the amount • Brian Schatz* (HI) of funding made available to all authorized programs each year. • (WI) THUD has jurisdiction over funding for the • Christopher Murphy* (CT) Department of Transportation and HUD. • * (WV) • Chris Van Hollen (MD) * Those who sit on key housing subcommittees are marked with an asterisk.

2–24 2019 ADVOCATES’ GUIDE • Patrick Toomey (PA) SENATE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE • Tim Scott (SC) See www.finance.senate.gov • (LA) The Senate Committee on Finance oversees matters relating to taxation and other revenue • Steve Daines (MT) measures generally, such as health programs • James Lankford (OK) under the “Social Security Act”, including , Medicaid, and the Children’s • (IN) Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Temporary Minority Members (Democrats) Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), and other • (OR), Ranking Member health and human services programs financed by a specific tax or trust fund. • (MI)

Majority Members (Republicans) • (WA) • (IA), Chair • Robert Menendez (NJ) • (ID) • Thomas Carper (DE) • (KS) • Benjamin Cardin (MD) • Michael B. Enzi (WY) • Sherrod Brown (OH) • (TX) • (CO) • (SD) • Robert Casey, Jr. (PA) • (NC) • (VA) • (GA) • (RI) • (OH) • (NH) • Catherine Cortez Masto (NV)

NATIONAL LOW INCOME HOUSING COALITION 2–25